When Jason Underwood announced he was constructing a building for lease on Main Street, he said his hope was to land a business, or perhaps more that the community desired would show interest in the facility. As it turns out, the first of what he believes will be three is something many expressed a desire to see.

 

“We got the building up in a couple of months thanks to good weather and a good game plan and I’m really pleased that we were able to lease half of the space to a restaurant,” said Underwood. “That was one of the things people approaching me said they would like to see and we’re glad that’s going to happen.”

 

For those who aren’t fans of national chains and prefer local businesses, this is more of a bonus. In fact, it is a first time restaurant.

 

Main Street Bridgeport, in late March, will be home to Smokin’ Bear BBQ. The business will be ran by Tyson Oakman and his wife Susan Snider Oakman, a 1989 Bridgeport High School alumna. The business will occupy 2,480 square feet of the building on Main Street.

 

“I’ve been looking for a place in the Bridgeport area and the challenge of Bridgeport and this area was to find a viable location with parking and, more importantly, we didn’t want to be in the area near Emily Drive,” said Oakman. “I’ve felt and believe there needs to be more restaurants on this side of town to serve the community.”

 

While Oakman found the location that should have the needed parking out of the cluster that is often the areas around Eastpointe and NewPointe, he isn’t exactly giving up the traffic that will help any business. Along with the community and businesses he hopes to serve, being located on Main Street – Route 50 – has plenty of benefits, he said.

 

“There’s a traffic flow of 25,000 cars a day,” said Oakman. “That’s always important, but our goal is more about making someone come to our business because it’s a destination.”

 

The destination of his new business is his first trip into the restaurant business. Oakman said he’s cooked in college, done catering and has developed a passion for barbeque during the last eight years.

 

“I’ve learned about this from doing it for so long now and have developed recipes that I like and don’t like and decided it’s time to jump in,” said Oakman.

 

The business will seat between 34 and 40 people, depending on the buildout. Oakman wants it comfortable inside and he said he won’t be cramming people in the building to take away from the dining experience. Oakman described that the business will be “fast casual” and “different and unique” to its customers.

 

“We want to serve anyone that loves BBQ, but we hope we can get the blue collar crowd that have 30 to 40 minutes for lunch,” said Oakman. “If you want to spend time with us you can do that, but for those looking to get in and out and have a good meal then we’re going to be a perfect fit.”

 

Oakman said the prep time for the meat used in his restaurant is substantial. To set up one serving involves a process of more than 40 hours.

 

“The preparation allows us to serve you quickly,” said Oakman, originally from Ohio. “It will take longer for you to order the food than for me to give you the food.”

 

The food will be traditional and served a la carte. Oakman said the meats will be ordered by the pound or half pound and includes beef brisket, pulled pork, chicken halves and spare ribs. Sandwiches featuring the meat will also be available as well as side dishes featuring coleslaw, BBQ baked beans, macaroni and cheese and potato salad.

 

“I’ve done these meals and home and with catering from friends,” said Oakman, who currently utilizes three smokers for his meat. “Everyone was in awe about the quality of the food and when I saw the response from that it helped me make the decision to open this up.”

 

Oakman hopes to have the business open March 29. He has ordered a massive smoker that is capable of doing 1,000 pounds of meat at a time and in order to get it tested and working to his liking he’ll be running a test kitchen the month of March. Since he served in the Marine Corps and his father served the community as well, Oakman is going to make the most of the test kitchen.

 

“During that time we’re going to have first responders come in for the test kitchen,” said Oakman. “That’s my way of giving back and if there is any food leftover from our test kitchen that will go to the Clarksburg Mission.”

 

According to Oakman, his business plan is similar to most BBQ restaurants. It is done to help make sure the business is profitable.

 

“We will open at 11 a.m. and we will close when the meat is sold out. If we’re done at 2 p.m. then that’s when we’re done. If it’s 6 p.m., then that’s when we’re done,” said Oakman. “That allows me to control the cost of my goods and maintain costs relating to employee volume. It’s very common with this type of restaurant.”

 

Oakman added that the business will be set up for individuals who want to pre-order on-line to further save time, including specifying a pickup time. The business will also offer catering services.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Tyson and Susan Snider Oakmoan in front of their soon-to-be-open Main Street Restaurant. Second photo shows some of the ribs Tyson is known for, while a little pulled pork is shown in the third photo. In the fourth picture, a contractor continues with the buildout to get the building ready for the late March opening. Below, Tyson Oakman explains the layout and how food will be served.